Systematic Approach to Customer Engagement in Asia
Trade Marketing Philosophy
Trade Marketing is a Sales responsibility and its role is “To Create Access for Consumers to Buy the Product in Partnership with the Retail Trade.”
“ONCE MARKETING CREATES THE CONSUMER – TRADE MARKETING & KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT & FRONTLINERS CREATE ACCESS FOR THE CONSUMERS TO PURCHASE”
Trade Marketing is the integrated process by which all resources are maximised in a strategic alliance between Supplier’s and Retailers, to provide CONSUMERS with the OPTIMUM ACCESS, AT THE POINT OF PURCHASE, to the respective product portfolios, ensuring an equitable return for all parties. It is essential that both parties work in collaborative manner to create the right trade environment for the Consumer.
Integrating with the Marketing plan, Sales develop a Trade Marketing Implementation plan by Channel, Key Account, Region, Territory and Outlet to ensure sustainable consumer access and the right conditions in the retail outlet environment.
Trade Marketing is a philosophy more than it is a department and involves everyone from the Sales Director to the Merchandiser whom are involved in the sales execution process.” In my opinion.
Trade Marketing is the vital link in assisting the Retail Trade in the accessing consumers:
- “Millions of Dollars are Invested by Supplier’s, with a Specific View as to Creating a Consumer.”
- “It is the Responsibility of the Retail Trade, in Partnership with Supplier, to Create the Right Sustainable Trading Environment for the Consumer to do their shopping with them”.
- As a Key Account Manager your challenge is to develop true “Trade Partnerships” and together make the commitment to cost effectively satisfying the most important person in the whole equation – “THE CONSUMER”
One of major priorities in managing the Retail Trade is the everything you do, every plan you make and every negotiation you have – You Must Always Consider The Needs of Your Consumer Above All Else.
Who is Directly Involved with Trade Marketing:
Typically the FMCG Industry has treated Trade Marketing as a departmental function purely to support sales. This has in-fact created a lot issues especially in confusion to what a Trade Marketing Manager does versus a Key Account Manager.
My belief is that less confusion would arise if the Industry were to accept that Trade Marketing is a philosophy of creating consumer access for your product portfolio which is distinctly different to Marketing’s role of having to create and maintain consumers in the first place.
If this concept is carefully considered, then everyone in sales from Sales Director to Merchandiser is involved in creating access for consumers or as I call it Trade Marketing. The role of “Sales Support” is still vital, however put in context Trade Category Managers should work in support of the company’s primary interface to the Major Customer which is the Key Account Manager.
Therefore, my opinion is that the following Sales people are involved in Trade Marketing:
Sales Directors
- Corporate Sales Implementation Strategic Channel Focus
Sales Planning, Channel and Trade Category Managers
- Strategic Internal Interface between Sales and Marketing
Key Account Managers
- Strategic External Interface to Retail Trade with Account Focus
Regional Sales Managers
- Sales Implementation by Channel with Regional Focus
Area Sales Managers
- Sales Implementation by Key Account with Area Focus
Sales Executives & Merchandisers
Sales Implementation by Territory with Store Focus
Also Explore the next level of Integrated Sales Execution by developing strategies and tactics in “Driving Growth Faster than the Market”.
- How to grow faster than the market – sales efficiency & effectiveness
- Growth killers – Identifying profit leaks and how to close gaps
- Managing the cost of doing business – financial implications
- Strategic thinking model and process
- Annual strategic planning, budgeting & review process
- Integrated brand building by category projects
- Strategic promotional platform – operational to strategic mindsets
- Compliance management – Are you getting what you pay for?
Trade Health versus Brand Health – Business Intelligence – Sales Forensics
FMCG Trade Marketing Series e-Books
